Review: On Site Opera’s "The Immersive Coffee Cantata Experience" a Caffeinated and Joyful Romp
The Immersive Coffee Cantata Experience Music by Johann Sebastian Bach New English Libretto and orchestration by Geoffrey McDonald Presented by On Site Opera at The Lost Draft Coffee Shop 398 Broome Street, Manhattan, NYC February 14-24, 2024 Image from osopera.org Presenting a new English libretto and orchestration of Bach’s secular cantata BWV 211 Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Be still, stop chattering), more commonly known as the Coffee Cantata, On Site Opera’s The Immersive Coffee Cantata Experience was a true delight from beginning to end. Its skillful adaptation to a modern context and outstanding musical performances, like the delicious coffee served throughout the performance, left the audience wanting more. Likely first performed in a coffee house in Leipzig, Germany, Bach’s cantata couples light-hearted jabs at the newly emerging coffee culture of his own time (and its critics) with his characteristically masterful blend of vocal and instrumental music. On Site Opera’s a...